Nederland - De Rijp, stadhuis

If visiting nowadays De Rijp or nearby Graft it is almost impossible to imagine that herring, whale and merchant ships from these villages could sail directly to the sea. These nautical activities brought unprecedented prosperity to the villages. The magnificent city halls of the Rijp and Graft (PiP) and the homes of wealthy ship owners bear witness to the style and glory of the past steeped in a long tradition of whale and herring fishing. After draining of the surrounding lakes the herring industry disappeared and it was done with the wealth of the villages.

The town hall of De Rijp was designed by architect-engineer Jan Adriaanszoon Leeghwater and is dating back to 1630 (the one in Graft is from 1613). The building survived a huge fire in 1654 that damaged most of the town. Nowadays is no longer used by the government, but there are still wedding and other official meetings. The ground floor was a weigh house, now housing the local tourist information centre.

(On the foreground of the picture the so called Dambrug)